Go on a safari in Manas National Park, Assam

Narrow roads lined with areca palms and tea gardens, cheerily painted walls and tea stalls balancing themselves on bamboo platforms: the road that leads to Assam’s Manas National Park from NH27 offers a good way to prepare yourself for what’s in store for you within the park.

Located in the northwest corner of the state, Manas National Park is quite different from what you expect a national park that’s part of Project Tiger to be. You’ll find no crowds jostling for space, no jeeps revving to get ahead of each other – a visit to the sanctuary promises an experience that is calm, serene and almost soporific. Your visit to the sanctuary, despite the tiger sighting being rare, will definitely be one for the keeps!

Home to the world’s last viable population of pygmy hogs in the wild and plenty of other exotic creatures, Manas must feature on every wildlife-enthusiast’s must-visit list. The park is also home to Bengal floricans, Assam roofed turtles, hispid hares, golden langurs, and undoubtedly the most exquisite of the lot, clouded leopards. Of course you’ll have to be incredibly lucky to spot them but that’s how it is in most wildlife reserves. Rhino, elephant, water buffalo and capped langur are aplenty though, as is a host of different bird species. Much like the fauna, the flora at Manas is also incredibly diverse. With dense deciduous forests opening out onto grasslands and over 500 species of flowering plants, the park is a haven for nature lovers.

The park is divided into three ranges – Panbari, Bhuyapara and Bansbari. While the two former ranges aren’t frequented much, Bansbari is the main entry point into the park, from where you can book a jeep safari. Irrespective of what time of the day you choose to go on safari, the forest is charming. You might just run into herds of gaur and buffalo moving lazily through the undergrowth and deer darting for cover. You can also go river rafting in the park – from Mathanguri forest camp, where the road continues into Bhutan – where a large part of the park lies. The 20km rafting journey takes you down the Beki, a tributary of the River Manas, to Gyati Gaon.

Go visit Manas National Park now when it doesn’t feature too prominently on the wildlife tourism map, but going by the number of resorts coming up around it, the park probably isn’t going to stay that way for long. So, plan that trip now!